


Delirious in Love

by Misskiku



Series: Bederia Goodness [7]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), DressedinPinkShipping, F/M, Fluff, Minor Illness, bederiaweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22853626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misskiku/pseuds/Misskiku
Summary: Bederia week 2020 Day 2 Prompt: Feelings of Love
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Series: Bederia Goodness [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630534
Comments: 4
Kudos: 120





	Delirious in Love

Feelings were not something Bede had much control over, especially when it came to Gloria. The effect she had on his heart had begun long before Bede had recognised his feelings for her. 

Burning irritation, frustration and annoyance had been there from the start, from their very first battle. From the very first smile she'd given him. Too bright, too full of life and innocence. 

He'd hated her instantly. Hated the way she smiled at him when she'd won, when she'd offered him a handshake and said that she'd enjoyed their match. As if he hadn't planned to thrash her and take her wishing star from her. As if his biting, snarky remarks had been compliments instead. 

Her naivety, her innocence, the spark of light in her eyes were things Bede had lost long ago. It made her weak, made her vulnerable and a fool. 

He lost control of his emotions in her presence. Arrogance roared to life. A rush of determination to beat her, to finally make her lose and grovel at his feet. And she won. Again and again, she beat him every time.

Always smiling, always friendly, even when he spat insults and glared. 

She didn't smile when he'd had his endorsement taken away from him. The first time he'd seen her eyes widen in shock, the first time she'd reacted in panic and fear and he hated it. Hated the pity in her eyes.

It had been because of her that everything had gone so wrong.

He'd poured his heart out to her on the pitch during the Champion's Cup, when he'd never lost his cool like that before. Not completely, not enough to make him spill his thoughts and his heart so honestly to her until that point. And she'd accepted his challenge. Fought him without holding back, gave him a match to remember for they'd thought it would be his last.

He realised now, almost two full years later, that his feelings for her had already begun to change at that point. 

It had taken another Champion's Cup, the first one since Gloria had become Champion, for Bede to acknowledge his feelings for her. That she was more than a rival to him. That the tugging on his heart was something deeper. Something he'd never felt before. 

The moment he had realised that, his feelings for her only grew and grew until they consumed him. He gave in to his heart. To her. 

He was in love with Gloria. A rival, a friend, and aching to be something more. 

For now, Bede was content to be her friend. To have her send confusing messages to him with no context. He stared at his phone and frowned. 

Gloria: please come kidnap me

Gloria: at stow on side gym slowly dying 

Gloria: need a break

Bede huffed to himself, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slight smile. If she wanted to be kidnapped, then who was he to deny her? 

-

Gloria was lying facedown on a bench in the lobby of the Stow-on-Side Gym when he arrived. He approached her quietly, unsure if she was sleeping. Her arms dangled over the sides of the bench, fingers tracing aimless patterns on the floor. 

"What are you doing?" Bede asked, folding his arms and forcing the amused grin off his face. 

Gloria snapped her head up at his voice. "Bede…!" she cried. Her eyes sparkled with relief. "You actually came…!" 

"I got a strange request to kidnap you," Bede said. He raised an eyebrow at her. "So, are you going to get up or would you rather I fully commit to your request and drag you out of here?"

"I'm coming!" Gloria jumped to her feet, flashing a warm smile. Her cheeks dusted a light pink and she cleared her throat awkwardly. 

Bede turned away from her dazzling smile before it could begin to fluster his heart. "Come on, your chariot awaits." 

Gloria giggled and followed him to the waiting sky taxi outside.

"So, where are we going?" she asked as the sky taxi took off. 

"Wouldn't be a proper kidnapping if I told you, now would it?" 

"Oh, right!" Gloria shifted excitedly, staring out the windows as she tried to judge where they were headed. "Sure you don't want to blindfold me, then? I might try and run away the second we land." 

Bede gave her a coy smile. "I'm sure I'd be able to catch you if you tried."

A challenge sparkled in her eyes as she laughed. "We'll see about that!" 

All mentions of an escape attempt faded when they landed at the Meetup Spot in the Southern Wild Area. Gloria climbed out of the taxi, turning to Bede with wide-eyed curiosity. Whimsical anticipation brightened her smile. 

Bede's heart squeezed, his chest feeling full. He walked ahead of Gloria, focusing on their destination rather than the adorable expression she was giving him. 

"This way," he said. "It's not far."

Gloria skipped to catch up to him, falling into step at his side. They kept out of the patches of tall, unruly grass, the cries of Pokemon filling the air. Gloria breathed in the fresh air, sighing happily as a light breeze washed over them as they walked. She never kept her attention fixed on a single place for long. Always glancing at every sound, every Pokemon that peered out of the grass at them. 

They worked their way past colonies of Combee, Roselia dancing amongst the flowers as they rounded up a hill. The grassy hill ended abruptly as the top of a cliff overlooking the vast Wild Area. Patches of blooming wildflowers danced in the breeze, the flowery scent making Gloria sneeze. Wingull soared overhead, gliding freely in the clear sky. 

Gloria gaped at the view, drawing herself slowly to the edge with an enchanted sigh. She placed a hand over her heart in awe. 

"I… I didn't know there was such a view like this…!" she sighed, breathless with wonder. A cluster of Machoke and Machop sparred down below, Excadrill digging into rockface. A Pelipper flew over the edge of the cliff, followed by a flock of speeding Wingull. Gloria whirled to stare after them. 

"That's good," Bede noted and came up beside her. "The Wild Area is vast enough, but I couldn't be sure that you hadn't been here before." 

"It's amazing!" Gloria gasped in joy. Calls of Roselia and Oddish sang in the warm air as they plodded through the flowers. Gloria sat on the soft grass, brushing her fingers through the thick blades. "I don't think I'm going to be getting up any time soon." 

"That was the point," Bede said. He sat beside her, leaving a comfortable distance between them. "You wanted a break." 

Gloria smiled down at the grass. "Thank you," she said softly. 

Bede quickly glanced elsewhere, as if he were more interested in the Bellossom than the sweet smile on Gloria's face. It was so tempting to lose himself in her eyes. 

A gentle, relaxing calm drifted over them. Gloria closed her eyes, head tilted slightly skyward, the afternoon sun kissing her cheeks and leaving them slightly pink. Bede took the moment to glance at her. To memorise the ethereal glow of her chocolate coloured hair in the sun, a golden halo of light outlining her. To burn this sight into his mind for all eternity. She was breathtaking. The tender smile on her face was mesmerising. Bede's heart melted as if she were the sun and he would gladly succumb and burn to cinders if it meant he could be near her. 

He wouldn't have minded if this moment lasted forever. 

As always, it was cut short abruptly. A figure walked towards them, a young trainer with an eager grin. 

"Are you the Champion?" he asked. 

Gloria opened her eyes and looked at him, blinking blearily through the glare. "Yes?" A frown settled on her brow. 

"Then, I challenge you to a battle!" the trainer cried, snatching a Pokeball into his hand. 

Gloria's expression fell. A faint flicker of pain flashed behind her eyes for a fraction of a second. She took a breath, steeled herself to stand. 

"You'll have to defeat me first," Bede said, standing and bringing out a Pokeball. 

"And who are you?" The trainer looked disinterested at Bede. 

"I'm the Fairy Gym Leader, Bede. The second strongest trainer in Galar. You'll do well not to forget it." 

"You're just a Gym Leader," the trainer scoffed. "I asked the Champion to battle, not you. Or is she too scared to fight without dynamaxing?" 

"She doesn't owe you a battle. If you're that desperate to fight her then complete the Champion's Cup." 

Bede was so intent on glaring down the trainer, he almost missed the soft groan that sounded behind him. He whirled and caught Gloria holding a hand to her forehead. Her face twisted in pain.

"Gloria? What's wrong?" Bede was at her side in an instant. Her cheeks were flushed, lips parted with sharp breaths. He removed her hand from her brow and replaced it with his own. "You're burning up!"

"Whoa, is she alright?" the trainer asked. 

"Of course not!" Bede snapped. He scooped her up in his arms and commanded his Rotom phone to call a sky taxi. He left the trainer on the hill and tracked back the way they'd come. 

"Bede…" Gloria croaked, her voice sounding hoarse and raw, and she cleared her throat. She blinked through the haze of pain. "I'm fine, it's just… a cold." She coughed into her hand for a moment.

"You should be home resting! What were you thinking, participating in the exhibition matches when you're like this?" 

"But… I'm the Champion. It's my duty-"

"Screw your duty!" Bede hefted her higher in his arms as gently as he could. Her head lolled against his neck, her burning forehead warm against his neck. "It's not your duty to work yourself until you collapse." 

"I haven't… collapsed yet…" 

He scoffed. "You were about to. Is that why you were lying on the bench in the Gym? You were already feeling like this earlier…" 

Bede scolded himself for not noticing. He'd seen the tinting of pink on her cheeks and put it down to the sun or a simple blush. Not a fever. 

By making her sit in the sun like that, he'd only made it worse. 

Gloria closed her eyes, her soft lashes fluttering against Bede's skin. "I thought it would pass…" 

Bede sighed. That was just like her - to put her duty and other people's expectations ahead of her own health or safety. He doubted it was the first time she'd pushed herself to the limits. 

He lowered her gently into the sky taxi and gave her address to the driver before climbing in himself. 

"Do you know if anyone will be home?" he asked. 

"Mm… I don't know. Mum might still be out..." Gloria curled up in her seat, her eyes shut tight. She didn't move an inch until they landed, save turning away from Bede to cough, and made to climb out of the taxi before Bede stepped in front of her. 

"I'm just a bit sick," Gloria said, brushing him off with a lackluster wave. "I can still walk." 

"Fine, but I'm staying close. Not about to let the Champion topple over just because she wanted to walk by herself."

Gloria didn't have the strength to roll her eyes and let Bede lead her to her front door. Pain rippled across her face, causing her to wince and hiss through her teeth. 

"There's… a key beneath that pot plant," she said, pointing at a small plant by the door. "I left my stuff at the Gym…" 

Bede fished out the key and unlocked the door, letting Gloria in before he followed. She swayed on her feet and Bede quickly caught her elbow. She sank against him with a groan. 

"Sorry…" she mumbled. "My head…" 

"I've got you. Where's your room? You need to lie down and rest." 

She motioned with a floppy wave of her arm. "That way. Down the hall…" 

Bede slid his arm around her back to hold her steady and walked her to her room. He opened the door for her and she stumbled the last few feet to her bed and face-planted onto it. 

Bede's heart sank but he shoved that emotion away. "At least take off your shoes," he chided gently, and worked off her boots when she replied with an incoherent grunt. She wiggled forward on the bed so she could bury her face in her pillow with a pained groan. She hacked deep in her throat for a few, rough breaths.

"Where do you keep your medicine?" Bede asked. "You need to take something for that fever. Do you have a thermometer somewhere too?" 

Gloria peeked at him with one eye, turning her head slightly on the pillow. "Mm… we do. In the bathroom cupboard. It's the other door in the hall." 

Bede nodded. "I'll be right back." He felt bad leaving her like that but had little choice. He found the bathroom and searched through the cupboards quickly, grabbing what he needed there before heading to the kitchen and filling up a tall glass of water. He found an icepack in the freezer and wrapped it in a cloth, lugging the collection of goods back to Gloria's room in his arms. 

She'd rolled onto her back, an arm draped over her eyes. He tapped the thermometer on her hand. She grabbed it, felt what it was, and slipped it in her mouth without looking. Bede sat on the edge of her bed, steeling his heart at the discomfort worn into her brow. 

The thermometer beeped, and Bede took it back, looking at the temperature displayed. 

"Thirty-eight point five degrees," he huffed. "You're lucky it's not any worse, the way you were pushing through it." 

Gloria sounded a grunt in reply. He placed the icepack on the arm she rested over her eyes and she sighed in relief, shifting it onto her forehead. Bede popped a couple of pain meds and handed it to her with the glass of water. She sat up slightly, head tilted back to keep the icepack in place. She downed the pills with a few hasty gulps of water. 

"Thanks," Gloria sighed, lifting the cup to hand it back to Bede. 

"I'm not taking it until you drink it all." 

Gloria pouted, but it faded under the weight of her exhaustion. She squinted at him, keeping her eyes mostly closed from the pain of her blistering headache.

"When was the last time you had anything to drink? Or eat, for that matter," he added. 

Gloria sheepishly looked to the side. "This morning…? It was uncomfortable to eat, so..." 

Bede sighed. "And how many exhibition matches did you do today?"

She pursed her lips in silence. 

"Thought so. How about this - you finish that water and I'll cook you whatever you want to eat." 

She looked at him, eyes widening fractionally with interest. "Whatever I want?"

"Within reason," he clarified. "I'll use what ingredients you have here. I'm not about to leave you alone when you're in this state." 

Gloria sipped at her water slowly, giving him a thoughtful look over the rim of the glass. Bede held her gaze, swallowing the rising heat crawling up his neck as she continued to look at him. He pushed down the realisation that he was sitting so casually on her bed. There was a twinkle in her eyes that he couldn't place.

"How about… pancakes?" 

Bede raised an eyebrow. "Pancakes?" 

"Yes, please. With maple syrup and ice cream. Please."

She asked so bashfully, her voice so light and breathy and honey-sweet. Bede snapped his eyes away as if he were contemplating her request and not drilling into his mind that her flushed cheeks were from her fever and not because of him. 

"That's do-able. If you finish your water-"

"Finished." She held the empty glass proudly, smiling at him through the feverish haze in her eyes. 

Bede wondered for a moment if the tender ring of her voice, the playful smile on her face, was a sign of delirium from the fever. He took the glass from her and stood. 

"Pancakes it is, then." 

Gloria sighed dreamily and sank in her bed so she lay down again. "I'm so lucky… Bedey making me pancakes…" she giggled breathily. 

A spear of heat shot down Bede's spine at the way she called his name. That accursed nickname that Hop had teased him with had come back to haunt him with a vengeance. He snapped his eyes to Gloria, heart wedged in his throat, to see her smiling faintly with her eyes closed. 

Bede stalked out of her room before she could open her eyes and see the slash of crimson heat on his cheeks. 

He focused on making the pancakes, driving all other thoughts from his mind as he made himself at home in the kitchen. It was a simple enough request, a recipe Bede knew by heart, and didn't take him long to find the ingredients he needed. It wasn't long before he'd heaped the pancakes on a plate, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with a scoop of ice cream. Just as she'd requested. 

Gloria sat up when Bede returned. The tight pain on her brow had eased slightly and the haze of heat in her eyes had cleared. She brightened at the sight of warm, fluffy pancakes. He handed her one of the two plates he carried, pulling out the chair by her desk and sitting on it with his own plate on his lap. 

"How are you feeling now?" Bede asked. He hid an amused grin as she tucked into her pancakes greedily. 

She hummed in delight, savouring the heaped forkful she'd shovelled into her mouth. She nodded, too happily eating to spare a breath to reply. Her cheeks still had a warm flush to them, but clarity had returned to her eyes. The medication had begun to work. 

Bede nodded, satisfied, and tucked into his pancakes. The air in his lungs fluttered at her obvious delight towards his cooking. It was hard to bite down the giddy grin trying to work its way onto his face. 

Arceus, it made him so damn happy when she enjoyed his food like that. 

Bede struggled to keep his emotions in check as they ate. He collected the empty plate from Gloria when she'd finished and clicked off the light. 

"Try and get some rest," Bede said. He took the glass off her bedside table. "I'll get you some more water." 

Gloria nodded and crawled under the blankets, uncaring that she hadn't changed her clothes. Bede let that slide, swallowing the comment that formed on his tongue as her eyes fluttered closed. She'd dealt with enough today. She didn't need him getting on her case about sleeping in her clothes, especially when she's sick. 

He returned with the glass of water, leaving it on her bedside table before walking around her bed to draw the curtains closed. 

"Bede…?" Gloria peered at him above the blankets resting on her chin. 

"What is it?" 

"Are you going to leave now?"

Bede paused at the foot of her bed. He warmed from head to toe as if he were the one burning from a fever and not her.

"I… wasn't planning on leaving you here alone, if that's what you're suggesting." He looked away from her lest the sleepy look in her eyes, that pleading, worried gaze, spark something inside him that he couldn't hold back. "I was going to stay in the lounge until your mother returned. I'll be within earshot if you need anything." 

"Can't you stay here…?" 

Her quiet request, whispered across the room, sent Bede's heart skittering in his chest. He clenched his hands by his sides, a tingle of electricity shooting to the tips of his fingers. He stole a sharp breath. 

"Please…?" 

Her voice cracked, breaking as if she were on the verge of tears. Bede's self-control withered and he slumped. 

"F-Fine. But you need to at least try and sleep." He stalked over to her desk chair and plopped himself down in it. "I'll leave if I see you getting distracted by me."

Gloria giggled softly, happily, like a child. "Okay," she sang in a quiet voice and settled deeper into her blankets. Bede studied her for a moment, making sure she was actually going to try and sleep, before bringing out his phone. He needed something to do other than stare around her room in order for him to hold onto some remnants of his sanity. 

Surprisingly, he was able to relax after a while. After his heart stopped drumming an erratic beat in his ears and he was able to breathe easier. He occasionally glanced at her to see how she was doing and would smile at the content expression on her face as she slept. Bede knew he could have gotten up and left at any moment without her noticing. He didn't have to keep to her request for him to stay. 

But he did. Bede stayed by her side, in her room, as she slept comfortably, not once feeling an urge to leave. 

-

Bede jolted alert when he heard the front door click open. It could only be Gloria's mother at the door. Or worse, Hop. 

Bede sent a panicked glance at Gloria, making sure she was still asleep, before he stood quietly and edged towards her door. It was slightly ajar, and he could hear someone moving about near the kitchen. It would be impossible for Bede to step out into the hall without it being obvious that he'd come from Gloria's bedroom. His breath caught in his throat in trepidation. 

But he couldn't risk whoever it was waking Gloria up. 

Bede stepped out of Gloria's room, her mother blinking at him for a moment. He quietly closed the door behind him as his cheeks burned sheepishly. 

"Gloria's asleep," he said quickly, keeping his voice low. "She's come down with a cold." 

"Oh, dear." Gloria's mother smiled softly at him. "Were you looking after her? Thank you. She has a habit of pushing herself too hard sometimes." 

"You have no idea," Bede muttered, then straightened stiffly as he caught himself. "Y-Yes, she does that quite often," he added hastily. "I used your kitchen earlier, I hope you don't mind." 

"Of course not. You're one of Gloria's friends; feel free to make yourself at home whenever you come by." 

Bede nodded slowly. He looked away absently, his face feeling slightly warm. His heart felt weirdly soft. Soft and light. 

"How is she doing?" Gloria's mother asked. "She doesn't say much whenever I ask. I think she doesn't want to worry me." She lifted a couple of shopping bags onto the counter and started to put the items away. Bede stepped over and began to help, receiving a thankful smile from the older woman. 

"She doesn't want to admit it, but she has been taking on more duties than she can cope with," Bede answered honestly. "She's heard from people all the things Leon had done when he was the Champion and has tried to do the same. She seems to have forgotten that he built up those duties over many years as the Champion. She doesn't need to take it all on at once." 

Gloria's mother smiled, Bede noticing the similarity between mother and daughter in her eyes. "I'm so glad she's found friends like you." 

Bede looked down at the fruit in his hands. His throat constricted and he swallowed dryly as he stacked the red apples in the fruit bowl. He couldn't find the words to reply so he nodded instead. 

The door to Gloria's room clicked open. "Mum? Is that you?" She stepped out, rubbing her eyes blearily. 

"Good afternoon, sleepy head," Gloria's mother teased. "I heard from Bede here that you've caught a cold." 

Gloria pouted at Bede. "I wouldn't call it a cold… I just had a bit of a temperature, that's all." 

"That's one of the symptoms of a cold, Gloria." Bede looked pointedly at her. "Unless you think it's the flu, instead?" 

"Whatever, I feel a lot better now." 

Gloria's mother walked over and placed her palm to Gloria's forehead. "Hmm… you're still a tad warm. You should take tomorrow off and rest." 

"What?" Gloria huffed. "That's a bit extreme, don't you think?" 

Her mother smiled. "I'm not going to argue about this with you. You'll take the day off and rest. That's final."

Gloria grumbled but didn't protest further. 

"I should get going," Bede said, suddenly feeling out of place. "I hope you feel better soon," he added quietly. 

Gloria smiled. "Thanks, Bede."

His heart fluttered, the feelings he had for her threatening to spill forth if he looked at her smile for much longer. He ducked his head and nodded, taking the moment to leave. 

The cool evening air outside helped calm his racing heart. It was getting harder and harder to bottle up his feelings for her. His heart felt like a boiler under pressure, threatening to blow at any moment. 

All it would take is a single trigger and everything that he felt for her would erupt into the open. 

Bede breathed in deeply and sighed. 

Not yet. 

He would keep these feelings buried for a lot longer.


End file.
